Restoration or should that be reconstruction challenge

Some amazing fabrication going on here mate!


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Thank you James. When looking at these vans I thought every panel was available, but it's only once I got into cutting and replacing that I realised that this is not the case at all and it's mostly the surface body parts that can be bought. Luckily from experience of restoring tractors where years of cow muck have eaten everything including cast iron that you get used to making what is needed. New parts in these cases are usually non-existent and you resort to photos and drawings.

 

Moving on with the D pillar and surrounding area.


I cut out the rot from the bottom engine lid side


Made a new section including the roll that I think holds the rubber seal into position. Held in place with my old favourite, market stall clamps.




blended, painted. The bottom still needs doing, but I'll leave this until everything else on the D pillar is welded otherwise I'm guaranteed to drop something inside, at the moment it will just fall out.


Above rear door inset tacked into position for reference, then the corner was cut off to reveal that the top of the D pillar was also corroded.


I made a new outer top D pillar that runs from the roof to the centre ridge. Complicated shape this.


And surprise, the inner is rotted too.


More fab, this time the D pillar inner.


And more rot, but at least the rust can't go any further in.


Starting to build it back up.

 

Inner D pillar welded into position and painted.


And the outer fixed into position.


Plus lots of hole filling for the countless screw holes that were in this panel.


And a trial fit of the corner panel to make sure it all fits over the d pillar without
interference.

 

Fair play, it looks like the rust has met its match in you

 

Well I figured if I can add metal faster than it rots away I'll at some point end up with a complete rot free van.

 

Now to the rear part of the chassis and vallence, what a mess.


Always reasuring to produce a pile of rust and debris.


It was at this point I stopped clambering under the engine, not sure exactly what is holding it in place.


Chop Chop, engine left in situ for reference along with the D pillar bottom clamped into position.


Welded the Scholfields chassis parts together once all was measured and cut from the van. For the cost there was no point trying to make this myself.


Jump forward a bit, chassis leg installed along with the D pillar base and the rear valence.


Left hand chassis leg done and valence inner welded at each end.


Just for an adrenalin rush, managed to distroy a cutting disk in the engine bay.


Engine out again ready for some engine bay shot blasting.


Started making a new righthand engine cowling.

 

Top drawer fabrication mate,well done on the work so far.

 

Nice work..
Great skillz...

it's welding porn..

 

And to think the other day I agonised over tacking a nut onto a bit of metal to make a captive nut. From your perspective it would have been painful to watch.

Great skill in fab and welding.


Stirlingmoz

 

Thanks for the comments, though having seen the other metal work heavy restorations on here I think my fabrication skills are about average. I do enjoy making parts, and welding is somehow therapeutic, when it’s going well that is.

 

Just a little update, it's been raining a lot here which is slowing me up somewhat.


Shotblasted the righthand inner wheel arch and the wheel arch itself to find out the extent of the rust, a lot of bodgery was hidden under a super thick layer of black silicone. The outer wheel arch has been replaced at some point, but they never went to the effort of repairing the inner arch, and so just filled the gap with silicone. I did check to make sure the old arch had been cut out before the new was added, all was good there, now for inner wheel arch welding.


I cut out the rust, then folded a new infill that comes out level to the edge of the wheel arch, it's then seam welded on all sides to stop future water ingress.


Welded in the rear infill panel then made a new outer section to join to it, I assume this is correct, I have no reference here. I also filled in the holes above the panel with weld.


I had to make this odd shaped patch for the rear of the inner wheel arch.


It fits as shown here, again fully seam welded.


And a quick layer of red primer to stop any flash rust. The front of the wheel arch still needs attention, but I just want this corner complete so I can get the corner panel fitted.

Now on to the battery tray.

 

Thank you, getting the first corner on will be a big milestone, it represents countless layers of rusty steel replaced.

 

Excellent work ! If I had my time over again I'd learn to weld and fabricate ... it really is an art form when done to this standard !!

 

Nice weather so shot blasting and painting today.


Got the battery tray welded in, along with engine cowl and air filter bracket.


2K epoxy primered the corner panel both inside and out


Then shot blasted the complete corner of the bus and sprayed with 2k epoxy primer. It's amazing how everything being the same colour brings it all together.




Now to get the rest of the bus to this standard, no longer such a crusty machine.

 

Well it's been a while, had a week in southern France plus I've bought a capachino machine, both are adding time to the rebuild.


Shot blasted the front of the rear wheel arch, was met with this.


And inside after taking the wooden floor up it looked like this. Though to be fair the rest of the floor seems to look ok, just some rust in each corner.


I cut the rot out and gave everything a good shot blasting before epoxy primer coating, all seems solid.


Made a new floor section and wheel arch finishing panel and epoxy primer coated the bottom. I think this is what the wheel arch finishing panel should look like, though it may be a little deeper than the original.


Welded into position, just the C pillar stabiliser bracket to repair now.

 

I've encountered some real rot on mine but a lot of my bits were purchased not fab'D. Amazing work matey.

 

Okay, so now we know you would have passed this one by but we're not all in the position to find £5k or so to buy a project and who's to say a £5k bus is not full of newspaper and filler. At least the OP knows what's in this one when it's done.
Mine cost me just £825 8 years ago and that's maybe all it was worth but mine is in a very different place now even if I have had a five year hiatus from it. All of a sudden I'm enjoying it again.